Coons statement on Saudi oil attack

Delaware News Desk

Tuesday

Sep 17, 2019 at 7:30 PM

Sen. Chris Coons released a statement Sept. 16 on the attack on Saudi oil installations.

“Following the recent attacks on oil fields in Saudi Arabia, I am concerned by President Trump’s statement that he is ‘waiting to hear from the Kingdom as to who they believe was the cause of this attack, and under what terms we would proceed,’” said Coons. “If President Trump wants to take any military action in response to the attacks, he needs to brief Congress on the relevant intelligence and make the case to Congress and the American people that a military response is necessary and justified.”

“Under our Constitution, the president cannot wage war unless there is an imminent threat to the U.S. or Americans abroad,” said Coons. “Military force should be the last resort. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia have had an important partnership for decades, but Saudi Arabia is not a treaty ally, and the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the conduct of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen have strained our relationship.”

“Still, Iran is the world’s top state sponsor of terrorism and continues to destabilize the Middle East in places like Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq,” said Coons. “U.S. military power helps to deter Iran from taking additional military action through its proxies. If intelligence proves Iranian responsibility for these recent attacks on Saudi Arabia, we should weigh our options carefully and consult with our regional and European allies and partners, which will only strengthen our response.”